Episode 12 Stand Firm a Final Charge from Peter

Host (0:01): Wake up. It's time to kick start your day. You are listening to Scripture Link's daily dose of inspiration. Let's go.

Host (0:14): Good morning, and welcome to this brand new day. This description links daily dose of inspiration for Friday, 05/08/2026, and today is National Coca Cola Day or Have a Coke Day. I much prefer Pepsi or even RC over Coke, but if Coke's your thing, enjoy it today. Have a Coke today and let's have a Coke Day. It also is Coke at a cream pie day.

Host (0:44): Now that one I like. So have a Coke, have a cream pie, celebrate today. Looking ahead to the weekend, Saturday is national mini golf day. Miniature golf is your thing. I like miniature golfing.

Host (0:59): It's supposed to be a nice day here in East Tennessee tomorrow, so go miniature golfing tomorrow. And Sunday, of course, is Mother's Day, the day that we set aside to honor our mothers. And if you still have your mother, make sure you give her a big sloppy kiss on the cheek and celebrate Mother's Day. And, you know, don't don't take your parents for granted because you never know when you're not gonna have them anymore. And, I'll just leave it at that.

Host (1:29): Today, we're gonna oh, let's let's get into our bible reading. Today, first, John chapter four and five, Saturday, John chapter six, and Sunday, John chapter seven and eight. And today, we're gonna finish up the series on on second Peter. And and I thought it was a good study. I hope that you you got a lot out of it.

Host (1:55): And today, though, we're gonna review some of the major themes, a few of the major themes in this book that's gonna help us as we try to stand up to false teachings and false doctrines and the scoffers that are in the world today. I don't have to tell you that we live in a world that is filled with deception and compromise and shifting beliefs. But second Peter calls us to stand firm in the truth of the word of God. And this episode, this final episode in this series, is not only a recap, but it's also a charge. Don't drift, don't forget, and don't stop growing.

Host (2:47): Let's take a look at a few of the major themes that is found in this book. First thing, we need to grow in grace and knowledge. Second Peter chapter one verses five through eight gives us a reminder that spiritual growth is intentional. Faith is the foundation and it must be built upon. There's seven things Peter lists there in chapter one that we need to make sure that we're adding to our faith, and all that is is helping in our growth and in our steadfastness and in our endurance to be able to to live in a world that is is compromising all the time, and we can't compromise.

Host (3:34): We have the truth. We have the truth of the word of God, and that's what we need to stand in. And we can only stand in that when we're growing in grace and we're growing in our faith and we're growing in our knowledge of God and his laws and his word and his commands. And then second Peter chapter number three and verse number 18 calls us to continually grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We have to be growing.

Host (4:05): If we're not growing, we're stagnant. And if we're stagnant, then we're not where God wants us to be. If we're stagnant, we're not gonna we're not gonna be able to stand up to the false teachings and the false doctrines that's out there. And if we're not gonna stand for God, if we're not gonna grow for God, then we're gonna fall for anything that comes down the pike. Another major topic we talked about was being grounded in the truth, being grounded in the truth.

Host (4:38): And in second Peter chapter one verses 16 to 21 emphasizes the reliability of the scriptures. We have witnesses. We have people like Peter, like John, who was was there and and saw Jesus and heard him and touched him and knows that he is real, saw the miracles he's done. And so we could trust their testimony, but we also have the testimony of the people that wrote the other books of the bible. God makes it clear and scripture makes it clear here in these verses that the Bible is not just made up some mumbo jumbo of fairy tales and things that the world will have you believe, But people like Jeremiah and Isaiah and Moses and, you know, all the others that wrote these books that we collectively call our Bible today didn't just write it for the sake of writing.

Host (5:44): They wrote it because they were inspired by the holy spirit and empowered and enabled by the holy spirit to write these things. Truth is not subjective. It is revealed. The truth is revealed in the bible. The problem is we live in a society today that wants to call truth lies and lies truth.

Host (6:08): We got everything mixed up. So we need to grow. We need to continually grow. We need to continually be grounded in truth. That's why I give you bible readings every day for you to get into the word.

Host (6:23): I hope that you take notes. I hope that you you study the verses that's presented for you to take a look at. The second major third major theme that that we read about here in in second Peter is a a warning to be aware of false teachers, to be aware of false teachers or to beware of false teachers. Chapter two is a strong warning against these deceptions, and he teaches us not only he teaches us that that false teachers distort the truth for personal gain. We see that in verses one through three, but he also teaches that we have to have a spiritual discernment.

Host (7:10): That is so that we can be able to tell what is the truth and what is a lie, what is the truth of God's word, and what is a false doctrine that is trying to be promoted. We have to be able to spot and tell the difference, and the only way we have that discernment is if we're growing in grace and we're standing in the truth. Chapter two is a strong warning against deception, And he tells us all about how they go about deception and and, you know, how the deception starts. Let's see if I can find it here real quick. Verse 10, how deception starts, but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government.

Host (8:00): Presumptuous are they self willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities or of authority. That's where the deception starts. That's where the false doctrine starts. That's where the false teachers get get get going is that they reject authority.

Host (8:17): They reject the authority of god's word. They reject the authority of of those in charge, and the the downhill slide starts right there. So we must grow. We must be grounded. We must beware of false teachers.

Host (8:34): The next major theme, number four, is remember God's promises. Remember the promises of God. God's not gonna break a promise. You and I may break promises, but God never will. And Jesus has already told us in the gospels that he's gonna he's gonna come and he's gonna gonna return to to take us to the place he's preparing for us.

Host (9:03): And today we have a lot of scoffers out there and a lot of people who is not only doubting the return of God, the return of Jesus, but is doubting that Jesus ever existed. And we have to remember that God keeps his promises. And we have to remember what he said here in verse number nine of chapter three. Said, the lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to us were not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God is not slack because he's a slacker and not keeping his promises.

Host (9:53): He is slack in his return to give everybody the opportunity to accept Jesus as their savior. But the day will come that the door will be closed just like the symbol of Moses building the ark. I'm sorry, not Moses, of Noah building the ark back there in Genesis chapter chapter six. You know, that that ark was being built for many, many years, and it stood as a warning that God's judgment was coming. And one day the door was closed and God's judgment started.

Host (10:35): And one day the door of the age of grace that we're living in now will be closed and the judgment will come. Remember God's promises, live with eternity in mind. Chapter three verses 11 through 14 challenges us to to live holy and godly lives looking forward to the return of Jesus, but looking forward to the day he comes back, looking forward to the new heaven, the new earth, looking forward to our eternal destiny. And we can start looking forward to that when we start growing, when we'd be grounded, when we stand up to false teachings, when we remember God's promises. And finally, the last one, guard yourself against spiritual drift.

Host (11:34): Guard yourself against spiritual drift. Second Peter chapter three verse 17 says, ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness. Don't let the false teachers knock your faith out of you. Don't let the false teachers take your faith. That's what Peter is trying to get us to understand, not to go chasing after the things of the world, not to go chasing after the false doctrines, but remain steadfast in your faith.

Host (12:20): Stability in Christ requires diligence. Stability in Christ requires us to be diligent in our faith. So there you have it, the six main themes of second Peter. Grow in grace and knowledge, be grounded in truth, beware of false teachers, remember God's promises, live with eternity in mind, and guard against spiritual drift. Remember, grow, and stand firm.

Host (13:03): Which one of those would be the most challenging to you today? Spiritual growth is hard because it requires us to give up things and none of us like that, but spiritual growth is vital to our relationship with God through Jesus. If we're not growing, we're not gonna be the people that God wants us to be. Make sure that you're growing. Make sure that you're standing firm, but you're growing in your faith and in your walk and in your knowledge with the Lord.

Host (13:46): Think about that as you go through this day. And remember, get into God's word and allow God's word to get into you, then share that word with someone today. Have a blessed day.

Unknown Speaker (13:58): Okay, mister Smith. Let's take a look at what you're doing for the long term.

Mister Smith (14:02): Okay. Let's see. I have several mutual funds, a few t bills, CDs, and a sizable amount of gold.

Financial Advisor (14:07): Oh, I'm talking about the long term.

Unknown Speaker (14:09): Oh, definitely. I won't be touching this stuff till retirement.

Financial Advisor (14:13): I mean the long term.

Mister Smith (14:15): The long term. After retirement? What's after retirement?

Financial Advisor (14:20): A very long term. Oh. What investments have you made for that period of your life?

Unknown Speaker (14:26): What do you mean?

Financial Advisor (14:26): The bible says not to put our hope in wealth, but to put our hope in god. You see, we lay up treasures for ourselves in heaven by being rich in good deeds and generous and willing to share. So how are you investing for the long term?

Unknown Speaker (14:39): Well, I

Unknown Speaker (14:40): hadn't thought much past my own death.

Financial Advisor (14:42): Mister Smith, people don't die. Only bodies die. You'll be around for a long time after your death. Now is the time to plan ahead.

Unknown Speaker (14:52): Another message from Lifeline Productions located on the web at lifelinepro.com.